Governors of Rhode Island
This is a list of the "judges," presidents, and governors of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations from 1638 to 1776. See also List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island. Judges of Portsmouth * William Coddington (1601-1678) 1638-1639 * William Hutchinson (1586-1641) (1639 - March 1640) - husband of famed religionist, Anne Marbury (1591-1643). Judge of Newport founder of Rhode Island colony]] * William Coddington (1601-1678) 1639-1640 Governor of Rhode Island (Portsmouth and Newport) *William Rosales 1640 - 1647 Chief Officer under the Patent of 1643 (Providence and Warwick) * Roger Williams (1602-1683) - September 1644-May 1647 Presidents under the Patent of 1643 ]] ]] # John Coggeshall (1601-1665) May-1647-November 1647 (died in office) # Jeremiah Clark (1605-1651) May 1648-May 1649, husband of Frances Latham (1609-1677), the "Mother of Governors". # John Smith May 1649-May 1650 # Nicholas Easton (1593-1675) May 1650-August 1651 # Samuel Gorton (1592-1677) October 1651-May 1652 (Providence and Warwick only) # John Smith May 1652-May 1653 (Providence and Warwick only) # Gregory Dexter May 1653-May 1654 (Providence and Warwick only) # Nicholas Easton (1593-1675) May 1654-September 1654 # Roger Williams (1602-1683) September 1654-May 1657 # Benedict Arnold (1615-1678) May 1657-May 1660 # William Brenton May 1660-May 1662 # Benedict Arnold (1615-1678) - May 1662-November 1663 Governors of Newport and Portsmouth under the Coddington Commission # William Coddington (1601-1678) May 1651-May 1653 # John Sanford (c1605-1653) May 1653 – 1653 (died in office between June and November 1653) Governors under the Rhode Island Royal Charter Colony governors typically served one-year terms. # Benedict Arnold (1615-1678) November 1663-May 1666 # William Brenton May 1666 – 1669 # Benedict Arnold (1615-1678) 1669-1672 # Nicholas Easton (1593-1675) 1672-1674 # William Coddington (1601-1678) 1674-1676 # Walter Clarke (1639-1714) 1676-1677 (served during King Philip's War # Benedict Arnold (1615-1678) 1677-1678 (died in office) #'William Coddington (1601-1678)' 1678 (died in office) # John Cranston (1625-1680) 1678-1680 (died in office) # Peleg Sanford (1639-1701) 1680-1683 - served 3 consecutive terms # William Coddington (1651-1688) 1683-1685 # Henry Bull (1609-1693) 1685-1686 # Walter Clarke (1639-1714) 1686 The Rhode Island Charter was suspended from 1686-1689. During this time, Sir Edmund Andros served as Governor of the Dominion of New England, which included Rhode Island. Colonial Governors Vacant May 1689-February 1690 # Henry Bull (1609-1693) February 1690-May 1690 # John Easton (1621-1705) May 1690-May 1695 - King William's War when French privateers raided the Rhode Island coastline. # Caleb Carr (1616-1695) May 1695-December 1695 (died in office) # Walter Clarke (1639-1714) 1696-1698 (resigned from office) # Samuel Cranston (1659-1727) 1698-1727 (longest serving with 30 years in office, commander of colonial militia during King Philip's War) #Joseph Jenckes 1727-1732 #William Wanton 1732-1733 (died in office) #John Wanton 1734-1740 (died in office) # Richard Ward (1689-1763) 1740-1743 # William Greene (1695-1758) 1743-1745 #Gideon Wanton 1745-1746 # William Greene (1695-1758) 1746-1747 #Gideon Wanton 1747-1748 # William Greene (1695-1758) 1748-1755 # Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785) 1755-1757 also Chief Justice of RI, delegate to Continental Congress, signer of US Declaration of Independence. # William Greene (1695-1758) 1757-1758 (died in office) # Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785) 1758-1762 # Samuel Ward (1725-1776) 1762-1763 - also 20th Chief Justice of RI and delegate to Continental Congress # Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785) 1763-1765 # Samuel Ward (1725-1776) 1765-1767 # Stephen Hopkins (1707-1785) 1767-1768 #Josias Lyndon 1768-1769 #Joseph Wanton 1769-1775 (removed from office) #Nicholas Cooke 1775-1778 List of State Governors of Rhode Island, 1775–present ; Parties Chafee served in prior offices as a Republican, but ran for Governor as an independent. On May 30, 2013, while in office, he switched his party affiliation to Democratic. See also * Rhode Island Royal Charter * List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island External links * Chronological list of Rhode Island leaders Category:Lists of American colonial governors Category:Pre-statehood history of Rhode Island Category:History of religion in the United States Category:People of colonial Rhode Island Category:Rhode Island in the American Revolution